The Way a Story Should be Told

Rating: 10/10 (29 October 2001)

What does Titanic, Saving Private Ryan and Pearl Harbour have in common and why, you may ask yourself, what do they have to do with a review for The Longest Day.
Well bare with me and all will be revealed. They answer to the above question is they are all good films that could have been great films, if they had stuck to an age old formula, which is 'if there is a great tale already, then do not invent a sub story', for example Titanic, great effects, great acting, bad love story. A Night to Remember, fantastic acting, but out of date effects and a little out of date on facts but told the tale quite true to the facts as they where known then. Mix both films together (removing the fictitious love story) and what do you get. A film that would be a classic.
And the same could be said for The Longest Day and Saving Private Ryan (or Pearl Harbour) The Longest Day is in my opinion is one the greatest war stories ever put to film.
It builds the story up well and tells the tale from the Allies (yes the Allies, sorry to tell you this America, but you did not win World War II on your own) and the German's point of view. It has an almost endless list of star's (albeit some in cameo's) and is well directed.
If you have never seen this film or have not seen it for a while and you have a spare couple of hours, would like to be entertained, but also educated at the same time then this is the film for you. Ideal for a winter Sunday afternoon, just after the roast beef and yorkshire pud. Then watch Saving Private Ryan straight afterwards and just think what it would be like if Mr Spielberg had mixed the two together.
I think we would have had a modern epic on our hands 10/10